Control means for a fireplace



April 2, 1968 w. c. LUTHER CONTROL MEANS FOR A FIREPLACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTDR WALTER C, LUTHER 4. WW Au'omey April 2, 1968 w. c. LUTHER 3,375,313

CONTROL MEANS FOR A FIREPLACE Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

, Egbi WALTER 'C. LUTHER Auorpex T INVENTOR United States Patent Ofi ice 3,375,818 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 3,375,818 CONTROL MEANS FOR A FIREPLACE Walter C. Luther, 2887 Losantivelle Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45213 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,971 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-135) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The control means for a fireplace contemplates the use of a flexible cloth-like non-inflammable curtain between the fire and the room to close off oxygen and air to the fire. The said fire proof curtain being adjustable to various incremental heights above the fireplace floor by gathering selected sections of the curtain and hooking pin like ele-- ments spaced along each side of the curtain into two hook like brackets located at each side of the upper part of the fireplace opening for controlling the amount and rate of the fire.

As is well-known a fireplace, particularly, in the home is provided in one wall of a room, and the said fireplace connected with a chimney which extends upwardly beyond the roof for carrying off smoke, gases, and the like released from the fuel while being burnt. As is further wellknown, due to weather conditions or conditions within the room, or home, the flame in the fireplace is interfered with, either, at the time of starting the fire, or after the fire has been started, due to the fact that there is eiher insufficient draft to support combustion, or, to the fact that outside conditions do not draw off the smoke above the flames and within the fireplace, permitting the said smoke to enter the room.

The principal object of the present invention is, therefore, the provision of means which may readily be employed for controlling the flame and smoke in a fireplace for therefore permitting a much more eificient operation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of means whereby the fire in the fireplace may be readily damped as when it is desired to leave the fire in the fireplace unattended after having enjoyed the pleasure and benefits thereof.

' Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural detailsthere shown and described, within the scope of the appended calims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a fireplace embodying the improvement and advantages of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical, sectional view through the forward end of the fireplace and disclosing the specific flame and smoke control means of the present invention, as seen from line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical, sectional view through a small portion of the flame and smoke control means, as seen from line 33 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of a portion of the flame and smoke control means of the present invention, as seen from line 44 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a fireplace, similar to FIG, 1, disclosing a carrying forward of the invention from that of said FIG. 1 and showing a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view through the device on FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale, and as seen from ilne 6-6 on said FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view through a portion of the modified construction of FIG. 5 as seen on line 7-7 on said FIG. 5. 1

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As noted above this invention relates to means for controlling the fire, or flame, and smoke in a home fireplace. The fireplace, indicated in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, is formed in a wall of a room. The fireplace 10, in effect, a chamber, is connected with a chimney (not shown) which extends to the exterior of the room or house and generally projects upwardly to and beyond the roof. The fireplace 10 is generally formed within the confines of a particular area of the room and which area is generally called the mantel and indicated, in its entirety, in the drawings by the reference numeral 11. The mantel is generally surmounted by an inwardly projecting shelf frequently called mantelpiece and indicated in the drawinge by the reference numeral 12. The floor or bottom 13 of the fireplace 10 is generally above the room floor and this bottom 13 frequently extends into the said room as a sort of low bench or seat 14. It goes without saying that the mantel 11, its shelf or piece 12 and inwardly projecting bench or seat 14 are formed of fireproof material such as brick, plaster, or the like.

The fireplace 10 is frequently inwardly of the front 15 of its chamber provided with a metal frame 16 which is employed not only for its fire-proof qualities but also as a strike plate for providing the guiding surface for the fireplace cavity materials themselves.

It is Well-known that means, generally in the form of metalic screening, whether of relatively stiff and fixed woven wire, or of some other form of metallic members, is provided and which screens the open front end of the fireplace to prevent sparks or the like from spueing into the room and thereby damaging the finish of the bench or seat 14, or damaging the generally wood and/ or carpeted floor (not shown) directly in front of the said bench or seat 14.

The present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, While preventing the said spueing of sparks or the like also ha a different function and in fact will most probably be used in conjunction with the said spark spueing screen since the present invention is not such that could be readily seen through and therefore destroy considerably, the desirable function of the fireplace, namely, enjoying the dancing flames through the fireplace chamber front opening. V l

The present invention comprises a screen sheet of fireproof fabric, indicated in its entirely by the reference numeral 17, and which sheet of fire-proof fabric, indicated by the reference numeral 18, is flexible and which is exceedingly pliable, due to its nature. The said fabric 18 at its upper end is folded around and secured to a relatively small diameter metalic bar 19 and is likewise enfolded around, at its lowerend, a metalic bar 20. At regular, relatively close, intervals the fabric shield 18 is provided with additional metalic cross bars 21 each of which extends through a suitable pocket or fold 22 in the said fabric shield 18.

The said bars or rods 19, and 21 each project outwardly of the vertical edges of the fabric 18 a similar, though relatively short, distance as indicated by reference numerals 23 and 24. It will be noted from FIG. 1 that the vertical edges 25 and 26 of the fabric 18 are laterally outwardly of the adjacent edges 27 and 28 of the fireplace chamber open forward end. It will also be noted that the said projecting ends 23 and 24 of the bars 19, 20* and 21 are still further outwardly of the first place chamber sides 27 and 28. i

It should be noted, also, that the upper edge of the fireplace opening, or the lower face of its strike plate 16, and indicated by the reference numeral 29 in FIG. 1, is below the upper edge 30 of the fabric 18 and therefore the upper bar or rod 19, so that the said upper edge of the fireplace chamber opening is shielded or covered. At the same time it will be noted that the lower edge 31 of said fabric sheet 18 is below, or at least, in alignment with floor or bottom of the fireplace chamber, and therefore, the lower bar or rod 20 is resting on the upper surface of the bench or seat 14, and with this structure the forward sides, top and bottom edges of the fireplace, chamber, forward opening is covered.

For maintaining the fabric 18 in the position just described there is provided outwardly of the upper corners of the fireplace chamber opening, brackets 32 and 33 which are identical in construction and one of which, bracket 33, is illustrated in detail in FIG. 4.

The bracket illustrated in FIG. 4 is merely a suggestion of any type of holding bracket which will answer the purpose presently to be set forth.

The bracket 33 is provided from a single piece or length of metal folded on itself to provide said bracket with a back portion in the form of an upper arm 34 and a lower arm 35 with the material therebetween bent on itself to provide a supporting arm 36, which extends outwardly and upwardly, angularly, to the bracket arm portions 34 and 35 for thereby providing a pocket 37 between the angular supporting arm 36 and the vertical attaching arm 34. As noted above each of the brackets 32 and 33 is identical in construction and is adapted to receive the projecting ends 23 and 24 of the top bar or rod 19 and, as will subsequently be made clear, the intermediate rods or bars along with the projecting ends of the bottom bar or rod 20 to hold the fabric 18 in the position illustrated therefor in FIG. 2 and with the vertical edges of the fabric 18 lying against the radial surface of the fireplace laterally outwardly of the chamber opening 10.

This position of the fabric shield 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be considered the normal position for these parts, and particularly if the exposed surface of the said fabric shield is reasonably and attractively decorated. This position of the fabric sield 18 might also be considered the first extinguishing position since, as is wellknown, there is a draft up the chimney from the fireplace and which draft will in and of its pull the fire shield 18 against the fireplace lateral side surfaces and thereby prevent the supplying of the necessary oxygen to the flame to support combustion within the fireplace and will thereby cause the flame to be extinguished. It i in this position of the parts that a fir place may be left unattended while there is flame therein with the assurance that no harm can come from the fireplace and with the further assurance that the fuel within the fireplace will not be unnecessarily consumed. This condition will exit since the normal draft will tend to draw the fabric into the combustion chamber but which action on the fabric will be prevented by the rods or bars 19, 2t and 21.

When it is desired to start a fire the fabric shield 18 can be positioned to have the lowest or bottommost rod 20, and therefore the lower edge of the fabric shield 18, positioned at a position upwardly of the seat or bench 14, as, for example, the positioning of the lowermost rod or rod 20 at the position of the second lowermost intermediate rod 21 and thereby provide a relatively small space above the bottom or floor 13 the fireplace chamber and which will provide a very heavy and hard draft through the fireplace for thereby effecting a very rapid starting of a fire in the fireplace. This condition of the draft through the fire place and its connected chimney is assured regardless of the outside atmosphere since there is always some draft through the chimney. The positioning of the said lowermost bar rod 20 in its high draft position is effected by disposing the two uppermost intermediate rods 4 21 in brackets supporting pockets 37 on top of the uppermost rod.

At times the atmospheric conditions, exteriorly of the room, is such that while the flame will be continued, the draft is not sufficient to draw off all of the smoke within the fireplace with the result that the said smoke rolls out of the fireplace at the upper end thereof, that is, beneath the strike plate 16 as illustrated in FIG. 2. When this condition obtains the fabric shield 18 may be folded by having all of the rods or bars 21 elevated to the brackets 32 and 33 except the bottom bar or rod 20 and the intermediate bar or rod 21 directly thereabove for thereby permitting, for example, two sections of the fabric 18 to hang below the upper end of the fireplace and particularly ber low the undersurface of the strike plate 16 and which depending portion of the fabric shield 18 would be sufficient to prevent the outward rolling of the smoke, supra, and would hold the same until the draft through the chimney removes the smoke.

Under normal circumstances and conditions and after the fire in the fireplace has reached the desired point the entire fabric shield may be completely removed from in front of the fireplace or all of the said shield rods or bars 19, 20 and 21 disposed in the brackets 32 and 33, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and the fire enjoyed.

In this instance, if there is any tendency in the fuel to spue sparks into the room it may be desirable to place a spark arresting screen in the fireplace chamber opening, as is now usually employed.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 there is illustrated a carrying forward of the invention, or a slight modification in the construction and operation of the shield and at the same time the said shield is disposed in front of the usual or desirable metalic spark arresting screen.

As shown in said views 5, 6 and 7 use is made of the metallic screen indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 38 and in front of which is disposed a fabric shield 18'. The fabric shield 18' is devoid of any transverse rods or bars, except the lower end of the shield is provided with a bar 20' which when the shield 18 is in the position of the shield 18 of FIG. 2 rests on the upper surface of the bench or seat 14. The fabric shield 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, has its upper end secured to a roller 39 which, to all intends and purposes, is similar to the ordinary window shade roller and wherein said roller has a spring which is tensioned upon the downward movement of the flexible cloth or material secured thereto and which roller is likewise provided with a gravity clutch arrangement for holding the said roller in any desired position with respect to the lower end bar 20'.

The said roller 39 similar to other rollers of a similar nature has its opposite ends disposed in brackets 40 and 41 which respectively take the place of the brackets 32 and 33 of FIG. 1.

In order that the fabric shield 18' may have its vertical edges at all times against the mantel surfaces outwardly of the fireplace chamber opening the said fabric shield 18 has formed along its vertical edges pockets 42 into which is dis-posed a flexible rollable steel member 43. Said rollable flexible steel member 43 is similar to the steel measuring tapes heretofore used and well-known and which are rollable on themselves into a suitable casing. The said steel member 43 being transversely permanently arced retains its relative stiffness in a given plane, namely, the vertical plane of the shield 18' as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. These steel members 43 again maintain the vertical edges of the fabric shield 18 against the side faces of fireplace chamber opening while the roller 39 is adjustable to any desired position for positioning the bottom rod or bar 20 vertically of the chamber opening and which position may be near the floor or bottom 13 of the fireplace when starting a fire and concentrating the draft directly to and across the fuel or the lower end, namely, the end thereof including the bar or rod 20, may be positioned, as above set forth, sufliciently below the upper surface or strike plate of the fireplace to prevent the smoke from rolling into the room.

The use of the fire shield 18' with a relatively permanently arranged screen 38 therebehincl enables the user to enjoy the fireplace without any thought as to spueing or jumping sparks and this same condition holds true with respect to the fabric screen when used in association Without or with a permanently screened fireplace.

It should further be noted that a very important use of the shield will be at the time it is in its fire extinguishing position, since while it not only prevents the access of oxygen to the flame for thereby extinguishing the flame but at the same time it retains in the room the heat therein whether said heat was from the fire in the fireplace or from any other source. The maintenance of the shield in front of the fireplace opening at all times, except when there is a fire, will maintain the temperature in the room at a desired point and will prevent drafts along the floor and within the room thereby preventing small children, while sitting or playing on the floor, from catching cold and adults from feeling cold from the drafts in the room above the floor.

From the foregoing it will now be evident that there has been provided a structure which accomplishes the objects initially set forth.

I claim:

1. In a shield as above described the combination with a fireplace connected to a chimney and said fireplace including an opening having a top, a bottom and connecting vertical side edges, of a sheet of fire proof fabric of a height and width to extend from the bottom of the opening to the top and to extend laterally beyond the vertical edges of the said fireplace opening, and means for suspending the shield in said position for completely shielding said fireplace opening including a transverse rod at the upper end of the fabric shield and a bottom rod at the lower end of the fabric shield with said 'rods having their opposite ends projecting laterally beyond the vertical edges of the shield, bracket means carried by the fireplace outwardly of the vertical edges of the shield receiving the projecting ends of the top rod in mounting and supporting the said shield, and stiffening rods transversely of the shield at spaced intervals below the top rod to the bottom rod and with said intermediate rods having the ends thereof projecting laterally outwardly of the shield vertical edges, and which projecting ends of the intermediate rods and bottom rod may selectively be disposed] in the supporting brackets for selectively positioning the bottom rod and therefore the lower end of the shield with said lower rod positioned at any desired point upwardly of the bottom of the fireplace for controlling a draft along the fireplace floor or bottom and preventing smoke and fumes from entering the room at a point below the top of the fireplace.

2. A shield as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said shield being relatively flexible between the stiffening rods, and a screen at least as high and wide as the fireplace opening and against which the shield will engage.

3. In a shield as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said shield upper rod being removably connected so that the entire shield may be removed to permit ingress through the entire fireplace opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 477,582 6/189'2 Tuttle 126-135 542,302 7/1895 Burden 126-135 1,426,663 8/1922 Martin 1|6084 X 1,726,854 9/1929 Mumford 1'26202 1,932,475 10/1933 Peteler -29 FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner. 

